


It's Not Over

by VengeanceAngel



Series: I'm Cleaning Up This Mess [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: ALL the S3 spoilers, Alternate Dimensions, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I am pretty sure that I'm the better writer, If the boys were into each other, Kind of Crack-ish but not for much of it, M/M, Self-Sacrifice, Ultimate S3 Fix-It, rating and warnings will change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-11 18:32:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19546030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VengeanceAngel/pseuds/VengeanceAngel
Summary: This WHOLE thing is spoilers for Season 3! The WHOLE thing! Do not even CLICK on this if you haven't seen the whole season! I will warn you ONE more time in the notes and then if you click, it's on you.





	It's Not Over

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS AHEAD! WATCH ALL OF SEASON 3 BEFORE READING THIS!!!!!!

The Buffer Boys look up sharply as the door slams open. “Oh… uh… hey guys… we have an appointment?”

Billy Hargrove shakes his head. “Nah, just checking in after we read your plans.”

Steve Harrington holds up a thick sheaf of papers. 

Rat Buffer gasps. “You’re not supposed to have that!”

Steve drops the papers, more like a book, on the conference table where the Boys were having lunch. “You think El was going to leave you two to work on this without checking on things?”

Billy leans forward as his hands slam down on the table. “You know, we made an agreement. We hand over our lives to you for a few days out of the year and you leave us alone for the rest of it.”

Boss Buffer stands up. “And we’ve done that!”

Billy scoffs. “But you don’t even pay attention to us or what we want!”

Boss Buffer smirks. “That’s because we’re basically your gods. We gave birth to you and promised you immortality, at our discretion. In return, you give up control for a short amount of time for us to play with our toys….” Rat laughs at his brother’s comment.

Steve sits down. “I know you don’t understand this, but it’s weird living in this dimension, knowing that someone can alter everything we do for a few days and we can’t do anything to interact with them, not really. But we _do_ have the ability to talk to you when you relinquish control again and we show you respect, but do you have _any_ respect for _us_? Because after reading this _bullshit_ , I don’t think you do!”

“You hate that word….” Rat frowns. 

“I do… I really do… And I hate this.” He points to the papers. “You know, when you introduced me to Billy and I dealt with the fact that you put a total asshole into my world, I forgave you because of the fact that once your control ended, he came to me immediately. Do you know that he nursed me back to health after he injured me as bad as he did? And then I found out that the real Billy is nothing like you portrayed him. And what the fuck making his dad abusive? Jesus Christ! Neil has to go to therapy for that shit now! And Max? You made Billy hurt her! You’re really fucking lucky that family all forgave each other and they’re finally happy.”

Boss shakes his head. “Enough! You gave us control and that’s that.”

Steve wraps his arms around himself. “You play with us like we’re your puppets, though. You gave birth to me and made me… such an asshole. It took _everything_ in me to push you to another place. The energy… I barely survived. Thank God Hopper and Mrs. Byers took care of me. I nearly died before you could get back to us.”

Rat frowns. “What do you mean you pushed us?”

“I felt it! I had this overwhelming urge to break Jonathan’s camera and vandalize property, but you were going to have me… _violate_ Nancy. Once the idea came into my head and the urge… the urge hit…” He chokes back a sob. “I don’t want to be that person.”

Billy comes over and wraps him up in his arms from behind. “It’s okay, Steve. You’re _not_ that person and Nancy knows now what you did for her and how hard you fought. You’re never going to lose any of us.”

“Really?” He points an accusing finger at the Boys. “Because according to _them_ , I’m going to lose _you_!” He moves quickly and stalks over to the older men. “I get that you have us apart at first, but for the _entire_ time they have control? And with you going through so much? I can’t… I can’t handle that!”

Rat gets in Steve’s face. “Keep it up and I’ll replace Billy with _you_!”

Steve takes a step back and puts his arm out to restrain Billy when the blonde lunges. “Deal.”

Boss’ eyes widen. “Wait… what?”

Billy looks at Steve in shock. “No!”

Steve nods. “To save Billy, I’ll do it. We’re friends now. Best friends. And I’ve had longer… to be alive and to mean something to people. I can’t do what you’re asking. I can’t _not_ care. And I can’t run off when Billy is sitting in a burning car! I’m not even the _type_ of person who would do that, at least not according to the way _you_ developed me! And I can’t… I can’t stand there and watch him breathe his last breath and not… not care.”

“I’m not letting you do this, Steve.” Billy turns the brunette to face him. 

Boss and Rat share a look and then smile at the boys. “Deal,” they say together.

Steve takes a deep breath and walks out the door. Billy glares at the Boys. “This isn’t over.” 

He races to catch up with Steve. Once they’re downstairs and out of the elevator, Billy grabs Steve and spins him around. “What the _fuck_ , Harrington! It didn’t occur to you to let me in on your little plan to sacrifice yourself?” 

Steve shrugs. “If I did, you wouldn’t have let me confront them at all.”

“You’re damn right I wouldn’t have!” He sits down hard on one of the chairs in the lobby. “What do we do now?”

Steve smiles sadly. “We go home. We tell the others. And I spend time with all of you before we have to say goodbye.”

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

Upstairs, Rat looks over at Boss. “What do you think? Just replace their names and leave it?”

Boss shakes his head. “Oh no…. but I’m bringing back the original idea for Steve when he’s with the Russians.”

“We cut that out!”

“I know, but they never specified _how_ to replace one with the other. And we clearly have free reign and I’m going to make them both pay for ever questioning us.” He smiles evilly. “We’ll see who pushes who…”


End file.
